What Moms Are Saying
Words cannot come close to accurately describing the level of gratitude I have in my heart for Lisa, but I will do my best. She truly was an answer to prayer... Prior to meeting Lisa, I struggled to breastfeed my first three babies. Despite working (unsuccessfully) with lactation consultants, I ended up pumping exclusively for each of those babies and had to supplement with formula around the 9 month mark. When I became pregnant with my 4th child in 2017, I started praying that my breastfeeding experience with this baby would somehow, miraculously, be different…more successful. I began searching online for a new lactation consultant, with high hopes that the “perfect one” would jump out at me.
Two weeks away from my scheduled C-section date, I contacted Lisa to see if she could meet with me. After our initial consultation, I had an incredibly hopeful feeling that this time around, my breastfeeding journey would be more positive…Lisa’s initial evaluation of my baby girl was the most thorough I’ve ever experienced. She really knows her stuff! I was impressed with her wealth of knowledge and her expertise in her field… Lisa referred me to a doctor as well as a chiropractor who could address [the issues my baby had]. The first seven weeks of nursing were not easy, and it took a lot of work on my part, but Lisa was there every step of the way, helping me get over the hurdles, and encouraging me to keep going. She was determined to help me reach my goal! I will forever be grateful to Lisa for the role she played in my successful breastfeeding journey with baby #4! I am proud to say that 15 months later, I am still nursing and enjoying (almost) every minute of it!
Melissa
Corrie
After giving birth, I began breastfeeding (it felt like non-stop cluster feeding) but we found out at our little one’s first pediatrician appointment he had lost too much weight. The doctor encouraged supplementation. I was discouraged, frustrated, and scared because of the amount of time I had spent breastfeeding to know he did not seem to be getting what he needed. When we tried to supplement, our little one wanted nothing to do with formula. At this point I became very concerned about my little one and scheduled an appointment with Lisa for the next day. When I met Lisa she provided immediate help and support. She provided helpful instruction on how to more effectively feed my little one. She reassured me that my milk did come in and that my little one was in fact going to gain weight. By [my next appointment] with Lisa, I was able to see the positive results and that the advice and instruction had worked. My experience with Lisa was incredibly positive and she eased my concerns and fears. Since my work with Lisa, my little one has been thriving and has the best cheeks and chunky legs. I highly recommend working with Lisa!
Lisa was extremely helpful to us as first time parents. We had difficulties with latch due to [oral restriction] (for which she did a very detailed examination and referral). She helped us learn mouth exercises and was very patient with all our questions around breastfeeding. Lisa was very hands on (much needed!). Honestly finding Lisa was a huge blessing and although it took us a while to get the hang of everything, there is no way we could have done it without her help. I think everyone can benefit from seeing a lactation consultant after delivery, and Lisa is the perfect person for that!
Palak
"They won't care what you know, until they know you care."
~Unknown
Breastfeeding should not hurt! Period…Close to giving up, I decided to seek one more professional opinion, this time outside my hospital network. Thankfully, I found Simply the Breast. Right away, Lisa identified that my baby had significant oral restrictions…There was literally no amount of effort that I could have invested to make breastfeeding work on my own - my baby required a medical intervention in order to be able to move his mouth properly. And that was neither my fault, nor my baby's. Thanks to Lisa's guidance, I got an excellent referral to have my baby's oral restrictions released and then additional referrals for infant specialized body work, to complement the exercises that Lisa gave me to do with my baby. My baby was already 4 or 5 weeks old by the time I found Lisa and we finally started getting the help that we so desperately needed, but by week 8 I was breastfeeding pain free, and by week 10 we were basically naturals!
My advice to other expecting moms would be: Don't wait! ...There is no point causing unnecessary physical damage to your nipples, emotional damage to your head & heart, and/or additional frustration or nutritional problems to your baby by thinking that the pain will suddenly go away and breastfeeding will magically start working for you!…The IBCLC (like any medical professional) should listen to you, observe you and your baby carefully, and take you and your concerns seriously. And if they suggest that pain is part of a healthy, ongoing breastfeeding relationship with your baby, then be confident that there is better information out there.
Stephanie
Michelle
At 8 months old [after a 4 month nursing strike], I was at my breaking point. I decided to call Lisa from Simply the Breast. She immediately called me and validated all of my concerns. Although Lisa had not seen a nursing strike go this long before, she agreed to sit with me until we had exhausted all of the possibilities of what could be causing it. Our meeting was AMAZING, to say the least. I felt supported and understood. Lisa recommended various new tips to try and continued to check on Emma and I after the appointment. I tried my new strategies consistently for a week, and she was exclusively breastfeeding shortly after. If it wasn’t for Lisa giving me the support and validation that I needed, I likely would have given up out of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. I am so grateful to Lisa for helping me and Emma getting back to breastfeeding once again.
My son and I had a pretty rough start to breastfeeding...he had a very "chompy" latch. It was very painful and I couldn't do it for more than 30 seconds sometimes. My milk didn't come in for 5 days when I realized I had a very low milk supply. During our first appointment Lisa identified the issues that were making it hard for my baby to breastfeed. At the same time she helped me to increase my supply, including diet recommendations, supplements, and a specific pumping regimen...I'll be honest, it was a lot of work!...
I faithfully did my best to follow all of her instructions and everything she advised us to do began to pay off! With the right supplements my milk began to increase. And by taking my son to the right specialists his neck muscles relaxed and his latch became almost painless. I began to see how enjoyable breastfeeding could be and I actually looked forward to nursing, rather than dreading it. While my milk supply increased quite a bit it never got to the point where I could exclusively breastfeed. Without Lisa's help I probably would have given up on breastfeeding after a week or two, and I think that would have been extremely heartbreaking. One more reason why I enjoyed working with Lisa is the open-line of communication. Working with Lisa was truly amazing.
Michelle
Kalin
My son arrived earlier than expected and was about 4 pounds at birth. He was so tiny I was scared to hold and nurse him. Weight gain as also a concern and I struggled getting him to latch. The first few weeks were so painful and everyone told me that it would get better but it didn't. Our pediatrician recommended seeing an IBCLC so I found Lisa who worked with us for several weeks. She identified [oral restrictions] which were contributing to my breastfeeding challenges and referred us to a doctor who officially diagnosed and treated them. Breastfeeding improved immediately...! Without Lisa's help I would have stopped nursing. Because we were able to overcome so many challenges I decided to to "pause my career" and we made it to just over a year breastfeeding! I am so thankful to have had the bonding experience of breastfeeding and to have had the support of Lisa who made it all possible!